Why We Started BYBA: Baseball With a Bigger Purpose

Hello everyone! I’m glad you’re interested enough in BYBA to dig this deep into our page. If you’ve ventured this far, you already know—we like to do things a little differently here. Not just compared to other travel baseball organizations, but in the way we approach the game of baseball itself.

I want to give you a little background on me, and what led up to BYBA becoming what it is today.

My Baseball Story

My name is Jeff Stephenson, and I am the co-founder and President of Bulls Youth Baseball Association. I also happen to be the BYBA 2034 head coach. My entire life has been spent around baseball—not just playing rec ball, travel ball, and high school ball, but living it.

My dad (Coach Earl) played professionally for 13 years. So when I say “baseball” runs in the family, I mean it. But here’s the thing: to me, baseball has never just been about bats, gloves, or stats. It’s about the little details, the fundamentals, the things that make the game beautiful. Footwork. Fielding position. Pitch selection. Swing mechanics. Running the bases the right way. Not just the highlight plays, but the process.

That’s what baseball has always meant to me—and it’s the heart of what we do at BYBA.

From Dream to Reality

BYBA started as a dream. Not originally mine, but my dad’s. He dreamed of having a program that gave opportunities to kids who simply wanted to play baseball and get better. Over time, that dream evolved into something bigger.

In 2018, we began drawing up plans for what would eventually become Bulls HS/JV teams, and eventually, Bulls Youth Baseball Association. Somewhere in the middle of that planning, I felt God clearly speak to me: “Do it for Me.”

That was the turning point. That’s when BYBA became more than just a baseball program. It became a mission.

Later that year, I received a call from a parent whose son was playing on a 9U team. Their coach was stepping down, and they needed someone to take over. That moment became the official start of BYBA. It was a sign that we were on the right path, that God was opening the door.

At the end of the day, what matters most isn’t the banners on the wall—it’s the character of the kids who wear our jerseys.

Bigger Than Baseball

From the very beginning, we decided that BYBA would be about more than wins and losses. Our goal has always been to build something bigger than baseball.

That means prayer and faith are woven into everything we do. It means we lead with our Christian beliefs and values. It means every uniform we wear carries the FTK logo—For The Kingdom—because that’s what this is truly about.

We use baseball as the platform, but the mission is clear:
    •    To encourage growth in kids through the game.
    •    To teach strength and perseverance through competition.
    •    To help players and families grow in faith.
    •    To change the way travel baseball is played—focusing on doing it the right way, for the right reasons, all the time.

Families may come and go, but our commitment remains the same: to keep Christ at the center of everything we do. Every practice, every game, every jersey worn—we do it all For The Kingdom.

The BYBA Difference

There are plenty of teams out there chasing trophies, rankings, and reputations. That’s not us. At BYBA, we care about fundamentals, about teaching the game correctly, and about shaping kids into not just better players, but stronger people.

And yes, we’ll compete. Yes, we’ll celebrate victories. But at the end of the day, what matters most isn’t the banners on the wall—it’s the character of the kids who wear our jerseys.

That’s what sets BYBA apart. That’s why we exist. And that’s why, no matter what, we’ll keep doing this the right way.

Because this game we love? It’s about more than baseball. It’s about faith, family, and a greater purpose.

And we’re just getting started.